


The Whole "Being Dead" Thing

by ConsiderableColors



Category: Dead Poets Society (1989)
Genre: Angst, But Todd Is Kind Of A Dick To Him, Canonical Character Death, Character Turned Into a Ghost, Dark Comedy, Ghosts, Implied/Referenced Suicide, Like Cameron Is Written As Sympathetic, M/M, Mild Blood, So Anyone Can Enjoy! (Hopefully), So yeah, This Is Somehow Both Pro-Cameron And Anti-Cameron, Weird Ghost Logic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-10-04
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:26:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 4,500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23266171
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ConsiderableColors/pseuds/ConsiderableColors
Summary: "Clearly, the universe hates Richard Cameron. It's not surprising, really. He's always known. The universe is severely lacking in subtly, he's found. But this year. This fucking year. He is being tested."Or, Neil comes back as a ghost, and Cameron is the only one who can see him.Title taken from The Whole "Being Dead" Thing from the Beetlejuice musical.Chapter titles taken from Without You from Rent.
Relationships: Richard Cameron & Neil Perry, Todd Anderson & Richard Cameron, Todd Anderson/Neil Perry
Comments: 58
Kudos: 85





	1. The Ground Thaws

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No additional warnings apply for this chapter!

Clearly, the universe hates Richard Cameron. It's not surprising, really. He's always known. The universe is severely lacking in subtly, he's found. But this year. This fucking year. He is being tested.

Cameron starts off the school year by finding out he's rooming with Charlie, which is already an omen. Then, Mr. Porter, one of his favorite teachers, has retired and been replaced by... Whatever you call Mr. Keating. 

Suddenly, all of his friends have graduated from goofing off to acting downright reckless. And suddenly, he's being yelled at for being the only one who's not acting idiotic. And suddenly, one of his best friends is dead. And suddenly, all of his friends have turned on him for trying to help. For trying to get justice for Neil. But this? This? Clearly, the universe hates Richard Cameron.

"Hi," Neil says again. 

Cameron just stares.

It IS Neil, he's pretty sure. Well, as sure as he can be. It looks like Neil, though a bit more... Transparent. And it certainly sounds like Neil. Not to mention, that smile is his signature smile. 

Neil crosses his legs over the desk. "You look like you're seeing a ghost."

"I... Think I am." 

"It's okay. I think so too."

Cameron hesitantly walks closer to him, waiting for the other shoe to drop. "You think so?"

He shrugs. "Well, I don't know, do I?"

"Do you?"

"You ask too many questions, Cam. I was hoping for some kind of welcome back."

Cameron reaches out, slowly dragging his fingers through Neil's arm. Neil shivers.

"Maybe don't do that," He says uncomfortably. 

"I'm sorry- I don't understand this."

Neil leans back against the wall, still on the desk. "Neither do I. I was pretty sure killing myself was the end of it." Cameron winces, but Neil continues. "Now I'm here? And I'm with you, which no offense, but I wasn't really planning on coming back to you."

"Who were you planning on haunting then? Your father?"

"Gregory Conners. My alegbra 2 teacher. Asshole gave me an F for a test I wasn't there to take." 

Cameron can't help it. He laughs. He laughs so hard he can't breathe, and once he's started, he finds it impossible to stop. Neil, for his part, looks concerned, but Cameron can hardly gasp for air.

"I've- I've finally done it. I've completely lost my shit."

"Ooh, bad words. You don't like using those."

"You clearly haven't heard me trying to get Charlie to shut up at three in the morning."

Neil frowns. "It's Nuwanda."

"Like hell it is." Cameron scowls a bit. "You're sitting on my homework, by the way."

Neil grins so brightly it almost hurts. "You're taking this whole thing really well."

"Why wouldn't I?" He swats at Neil. He can't feel anything touch his hand, but Neil shivers the same as the first time and moves over. Cameron picks up the papers, neatly re-stacking them. "In a little while, I'll wake up."

"That's what I said, and well..."

Cameron doesn't answer. Neil gets off the desk, moving to Charlie's bed and making himself comfortable. 

"When is he coming back, by the way?" He smiles hopefully, like a little kid asking for McDonald's, and it's so reminiscent of the classic Neil that Cameron has to fight to keep his voice steady and free of pain. 

"Who?"

"Your roommate, genius."

"He's... Expelled."

His face fills with sadness. "What?"

"You didn't know that?" Cameron looks at him, confused. 

"When the hell did he get expelled?"

"When he punched me?"

"He punched you?"

Cameron huffs, massaging the bridge of his nose. "Hold on. What's the last thing you remember?"

The brightness in Neil's eyes fades, and something begins to flicker on and off of his head. Cameron squints, trying to make out the flashes, and almost pukes when he sees it. Blood, dripping down to cover the side of his head, all stemming from one wound.

"Cameron?"

His head jerks up, and Neil's staring at him. 

"Are you okay?"

"What... What were you saying?"

"The last thing I remember? I mean, you know. The- me- the dying. I guess?" As he tries forcing the words out, the flashes of blood stabilize, and Cameron can see every trace a lot clearer than he wants to. He shakes his head a bit, forcing himself to focus on something else.

"I just assumed you'd be watching over us from above or something."

"I would've if I knew how. Sorry." And he sounds genuinely sorry about it. Only Neil would apologize for this sort of thing. That's when Cameron starts wondering if he really isn't dreaming. 

He shakes the thought away with a huff. "I just don't understand. Why are you haunting me?"

"Okay, one, please don't call it haunting. I'm not Casper. Two, it's not exactly... My choice? I can't leave your room. I've been trying for an hour now." His smile fades.

"Oh. Well." Cameron shifts, uncomfortable. "Sorry you got stuck with me."

Neil shakes his head quickly. "I don't mind."

Cameron can tell it's a lie, but he appreciates the attempt. He's about to reply when he hears footsteps. He hisses for Neil to hide and turns back to his work.

Todd comes in, walking right past Cameron and sitting on his bed.

"I finished the history if you need it."

Todd flips him off without looking up.

"Right. Good to know."

It's silent for a minute before Cameron opens his mouth to speak again. Todd sighs, standing up and leaving with a mutter of, "Could've roomed with anyone else..."

Cameron scowls, calling out "Bye?" as the door slams shut. Neil comes out quickly, eyes lightly shining with tears.

"Neil..."

"I... I didn't... Why are you rooming with Todd?" He manages.

"They wanted to save rooms after Charlie got expelled."

"Why did he even punch you? What the hell happened?"

"Nothing."

Neil's face falls, but he doesn't push. "Oh. Okay."

Cameron's eyes harden. "Look, I need to work. Can you just- I dunno- Do something to occupy yourself without getting bored?"

Neil nods, leaning against one of the walls to watch him.

"Not really what I meant. But sure, I guess." 

Yeah. The universe DEFINITELY hates Richard Cameron.

Luckily, Neil has the decency to let him work in silence. He hardly even moves, which Cameron finds pretty damn shocking, because the Neil he knows can't sit still for even a minute. Who knows? Maybe death has made him calmer.

He definitely seems more relaxed. Less tense, or on edge. But he looks much, much sadder. Cameron doesn't like thinking about it, so he shakes the thought aside and keeps working. He's fallen behind, with all the funeral arrangements and Keating interviews, and even if his friends (well, ex-friends, he supposes) are willing to flunk out, he isn't. 

A part of him wishes Neil would talk to him, distract him, just for a few minutes, because he's not used to having a quiet room. It feels... Wrong. But Neil, always considerate, does exactly as asked and stays silent. Eventually, Cameron forgets he's there. He becomes engrossed in his work, so much so that he almost doesn't notice Todd walk back in.

He jumps up, seeing Neil do the same from the corner of his eye, but he knows it's too late. There's no way Todd didn't see him. Fuck. Fuck. He does not want to be in charge of his friends' post-mortem tragical romantic reunion. 

He begins to stammer out an "I- I can explain-" right as Todd walks through Neil.

He gives Cameron a vaguely annoyed look. "Explain what?"

Cameron gawks, gesturing to Neil. "Explain..."

Todd doesn't even look at him. "Yes?"

Cameron deflates. "I can... Explain... The math homework. If you're having trouble..."

Todd rolls his eyes. "I think I'll just ask Meeks."

"Right. Got it."

"Knox wants me to tell you you're out of study group, by the way."

"I already did the history, though."

"We don't need it," He says flatly.

Cameron hates himself for it, but he feels himself getting desperate. "Okay, so I won't come and explain it. Do you guys..." Screw his morals. "Do you want to copy?"

"No. We don't."

Cameron nods, trying to swallow his disappointment. He turns to Neil, who's... Staring. He's reaching out, eyes fixated on Todd with so much heartbreak that Cameron feels like he's going to be sick.

"I'm going to bed," He says. A part of him waits for Todd to say, "But you haven't had dinner yet." He doesn't. 

He clambers into bed without so much as a glance towards Neil. His heart clenches with guilt, knowing this must be killing Neil and that he isn't even trying to comfort him, but who cares, right? He's already lost all his friends. No point trying to fix things with this one, especially considering he isn't even alive.

Still, deep down, Cameron can't help but pray that Neil will still be there when he wakes up.

He is.


	2. The Rain Falls

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've decided rather than turn this into a big story (because I don't think I can handle two WIPs like that at the moment), this story is going to be more like a drabbles collection.
> 
> They're not going to be in any particular order, just different stories with ghosty Neil. Some chapters might be really short, others might be long, it'll just depend.
> 
> One thing, though: I'll be accepting prompts & requests for this universe! (This is my first time trying something like this soo,, we're gonna see how it goes lmao). But yeah, if you have any ideas you want me to write for this story, feel free to send em in! Obviously you can comment, or my dms and asks are open on tumblr (i have anon asks on too), whatever works best for you!
> 
> I've also got a few chapters set up in the meantime! So yeah!
> 
> Warnings for this chapter: character death (duh) and nightmares

Todd's tossing and turning in bed again. Neil does what he always does. He watches. 

He doesn't want to. He hates it, hates watching him in pain. But there's nowhere for him to go. No escape. He's trapped. He ended his life so he could stop feeling trapped and nothing's changed. He's dead and everything is worse now.

Todd's face is covered in sweat, eyes clenched shut tightly, as if he's desperately trying not to see whatever it is that he's seeing. He lets out a high sound, something between a whine and a whimper, and Neil runs over before he can even think about it.

"Please... Please, stop. You don't..." Todd shudders, shaking the bed. "You don't have to do this. You don't want to do this. You don't. You don't want to leave me, do you? Please... Please don't leave me..." 

Neil's hand pulls at his own hair, guilt and grief and self-hatred tugging at his heart.

Todd's hand lunges out, almost touching where Neil's body should be. Where Neil should be. Neil should be there. "Stop- Just put it down. Neil, Neil please- Love, please-" 

Neil jerks back at the endearment, not ready to hear Todd call him his love yet, but just as he pulls away, he wishes he hasn't, because Todd s c r e a m s.

He turns to Cameron, desperately hoping he'll have woken up and do something, anything to help. But it seems a year of rooming with Charlie has made him able to sleep through anything. 

Todd however, is now wide awake, panting heavily and throwing the covers off of his body. His head tilts down, quiet cries pouring out of him.

Neil sits at the edge of the bed, thinking he would do anything, ANYTHING, to have Todd hear him, to have him listen, just for a moment. "I'm HERE, Todd," He murmurs, begging him to calm down. "I'm here. I'm okay."

Todd's head jerks up, tears pouring down his face, and he looks around frantically. Neil watches him, confused, until Todd's head turns to look about two inches from where Neil is sitting. 

Todd stares, eyes wide and disbelieving. "Neil?"

Neil jumps, almost falling off the bed. He recovers quickly, leaning forward. "Todd?"

"Neil?"

A wide, crazed grin spreads across his face. "Todd! You can hear me! Holy- Holy shit, you can-"

"Neil..." His voice breaks. "Please say something. Please."

"I- I just did. What do you...?"

Todd looks back down, a hoarse laugh spilling from his mouth. "And now I'm going crazy too. Of course. God..." He laughs, harder and harder until it dissolves back into crying.

Neil's heart sinks. "Todd..."

It doesn't matter. Whatever happened, whatever allowed Todd to hear him speak for a few seconds, it clearly isn't still happening. 

But Neil doesn't care. Doesn't give a shit. He has something he didn't have before: Hope. A chance. Somewhere to start.

He clenches his fist, tries his best to block out Todd's tears, and gets to practicing.


	3. The Grass Grows

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings: joking discussion of conspiracies, crying, and general angst.

When Neil decides to check in on the guys, Pitts is joining the table with a tray in hand. Pitts takes a bite of the chicken there, swallows, then addresses the group. "It happened again last night."

Knox shakes his head. "You're kidding. You too?"

Meeks nods. "Yep. We woke up, and the room was... Well, not spotless. But definitely neater."

Knox shakes his head in disbelief. "The laundry on my floor? Gone. Slipped into the basket."

"Maybe it was your roommate? Hopkins, right?"

"That wouldn't explain you and Pitts, though. Unless you're doing it and not telling each other?"

Meeks sighs. "No."

Knox chews his lip. "We could ask the administration if they knew?"

"Yeah, because they'd put all their effort into helping their top 'problem students'. I just wish we knew what was happening."

"Well, it's obvious, isn't it?" 

Meeks raises an eyebrow. "Is it?"

Knox leans forward. "It's a ghost."

Pitts shakes his head, returning to the food. Meeks, however, decides to humor him. "A ghost? You believe all that?"

"For sure. You ever watched a Shane Dawson video?"

"I have not."

"It's crazy. That's why I have my laptop's camera covered, you know. Then, the hackers don't see you."

Meeks rolls his eyes. "And here I thought you just loved emoji stickers."

"That too. But I'm serious, okay? A ghost is the only thing that makes sense."

Pitts puts down his fork and stares up at Knox. "Let's say it is a ghost, then. Whose ghost is it? And why are they here? And what-"

"It's Neil."

All three heads turn to Todd. Meeks reaches a hand out to touch Todd's shoulder, eyes sad. 

"It makes sense, doesn't it? That he would come back if he could? I mean, he... He loved... Well, he didn't love school. I guess." As he starts to falter, Pitts sighs heavily. "But- but he would come back, I'm sure! And- and I've been hearing a voice- his voice- I swear it is!"

Knox looks down, all persistence gone. "Todd, you know that's not possible."

"But you said-"

He shakes his head, and Neil can tell he's already starting to feel guilty for bringing it up. "I mean, ghosts? Who believes in that, right?" He chuckles forcefully.

Todd wilts.

Meeks adjusts his glasses, turning to fully face him. "Todd... If you're hearing voices..."

Todd shoves him aside, eyes springing tears. "I'm not hearing voices, alright? I'm- it's his voice, and I'm not CRAZY, I know what I'm talking about! I've heard it- I have HEARD him- I have- and it's not- multiple times! I have heard him multiple times, and he's doing things- you know how I can never find my shoes? They are always there! Always where I am! And he- only he could- he-" His voice breaks, and he crumbles. 

Meeks whispers, "Todd..."

"...He always did that for me." 

Pitts stands up and wraps his arms around both of them, Knox quickly following. 

"It's okay, Todd. It's okay," Knox murmurs, and Todd just sobs.

Neil can feel himself shaking. He thought... He thought the shoes would help. A comfort.

He imagined it as Todd believing he's started remembering on his own... A reassurance, that meant he could do this on his own after all. Neil didn't... He didn't mean to do this.

He didn't mean to do this, didn't mean to ruin his friend's lives, he d i d n ' t. He just wanted an escape, a way out. He didn't want to be trapped. He just wanted things to be b e t t e r. And now he's made everything worse for everyone. 

Todd cries and cries, and the guys try to soothe him as long as they can, but eventually, one by one, they just can't listen to Todd cry anymore without crying themselves. 

Neil just stands there and watches. Watches his friends fall apart, and can almost feel the phantom feeling of his skin getting clammy. He watches his friends cry, aware that there isn't a single thing he can do to comfort them, and decides he doesn't want to leave Cameron's table anymore. It's lonely, yes, but the loneliness is nothing compared to the guilt.

He finds Cameron, and when he's asked why he looks so upset, Neil says nothing. He has no idea what he would even say.


	4. The Seeds Root

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings for this one unless cheating counts

"Number 9 is B."

Cameron jumps.

"Mr. Cameron?" Hager peers at him from the desk. "Is everything alright?"

Cameron's ears burn red. "Yes, sir. Sorry."

"Right. Carry on, then."

"Will do, sir." Still flushed, Cameron shakes his head, returning to the test. The anatomic location of the spinal canal is...

"Dorsal."

He huffs, jerking his head up. Neil's hovering over him, chin on his desk. Silently, Cameron glares and makes a shooing motion.

"You're a meanie. I'm just trying to help you."

Cameron picks up the pencil, and writes on the corner of the page 'I. Don't. Need. Your. Help.'

Neil quirks a brow. "You've been on this question for 8 minutes and 4 seconds. 5 seconds. 6... 7... 8..."

He clenches his fists. 

"C'mon, Cam! I know my stuff. I'm an anatomy expert. Ask my dear old Dad!"

He rolls his eyes. 

Neil leans closer. "I mean, I hate to brag, but I bet you I'm a shoe-in for ghost Harvard."

Cameron slams the pencil down angrily before he can think.

"Mr. Cameron!"

He blanches. "Sorry, sir. There was... A fly..."

"Hmph. Back to work."

Neil, for his part, looks wildly entertained. "So many disruptions. This is very unlike you. Now, can I help, or what?"

Cameron erases the previous message, and writes in its place, 'I'm not a cheater. I can figure it out myself.'

"Richie. Buddy. You've missed a shit ton of instruction, your ex-friends keep taking your homework and ripping it up, and you're mourning your undead pal. Oh. And you have 5 minutes left on this quiz."

Cameron eyes widen, and he frantically looks at the clock.

"Time flies when your life has been dramatically altered forever. Unless you're a ghost. Then it draaaags." Neil pouts, then taps the paper, the tip of his finger sinking through the desk. "Now then, I believe this one was dorsal?"

Sending out a silent plea for his parents' forgiveness, Cameron swiftly starts circling answers, Neil listing them off cheerfully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A quick, fun scene because I had an idea and liked it :0
> 
> Also, for those of you following There Will Be Light- I am almost done editing the next chapter. It should be up in a few days!


	5. The Flowers Bloom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for spoopy ghost stuff, mental health talk, and a suicide mention.

Inside the cave, there's a stack of books so high it's almost reached the ceiling. Roughly once a week, the stack gets a little higher.

Today, it's King Lear.

Knox stands on his tiptoes, placing the book at the top of the pile, then slides down the wall to sit. 

"Gonna need a new pile soon, huh?"

There's no response. Not that there ever is.

Knox pulls his knees to his stomach, resting his head on his wrists. "I aced my Latin quiz the other day. Shocking, I know. I don't think I actually did better than I normally do, but..." He sighs. "The teachers are all worried about us, so. Meeks hasn't done any work in weeks. MEEKS. Crazy, right?"

He grins a minute, but it's quick to fade. "Well, I shouldn't say he hasn't done any work. He has, just... Not school work. He's been reading a lot on the psychology of grief. For Todd's sake, you know? We're, uh, we're worried he's starting to hallucinate things. And he's near hysterical when we try to bring it up, so."

Knox swears he can feel the air get colder.

"I know, I know. You'd want us looking after him. We ARE trying, Neil. I swear. But... He doesn't want us. He wants you. And you're not... Well, you're not here, are you?"

A strong gust of wind. 

"I'm going to freeze my ass off in here, aren't I?" He closes his eyes a minute, trying to decide if he should leave, when something slams into the back of his head.

His eyes snap open, and he looks down. King Lear. Forcing his voice to be steady, he chuckles. "You uh- you didn't like that one, huh?"

Romeo & Juliet goes next, and this time, Knox sees it happen. The book just flies off, in a strong wind that comes seemingly out of nowhere. 

"Ok. Ok, ok, ok, cool, cool, cool, cool, yup yuo yup. I'm just amped up. I'm fine. Calm down, Knox. Oooookay..."

Another book goes. This one falls right under his feet. And open. 

It's Hamlet.

Knox hugs himself, hands shaking. "Haha. The one about suicide. Great..."

This time, the wind shoves Knox forward. He falls into the book headfirst, and catches sight of the first line on the page. 

"The bell then beating one---  
Enter Ghost"

Enter Ghost.

Enter ghost.

Enter ghost.

Knox looks up, smile blinding.

"Neil?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huge thank you to Dnai for the idea of Knox going to the cave to talk to Neil!! (And for motivating me to write this stuff in general lmao)


	6. The Children Play

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for: yelling/fighting and discussion of suicide.

"Come on, Cam. Stop thinking about it and just answer!"

"I- I don't know!"

His fists are clenched, ears starting to burn, but Neil keeps egging him on. "You can't not know! For fucks sake, Cameron, just tell me! What do you want?!"

"I WANT TO BE HAPPY," He snaps.

Neil falters. Cameron's fists clench tighter, nails digging into his palms. 

"I want to be happy." He looks away.

Neil comes closer, face desperate. "Then you need to stop listening to whatever people tell you. Because I promise you, if you keep lying down and taking it, you are NEVER going to get that chance. Trust me. I would know."

Cameron looks up to meet his gaze, and quickly looks away again.

"So, don't think about what you're supposed to do. What do you want to do? What's going to make you happy?"

"I don't... I don't know what I want to do. I just want to do something that actually matters. My parents think I should go into politics... Write speeches I don't agree with for someone else to read."

"And what do you think?"

"I think if I'm going to be a politician, I want to make real change happen. I want to fight for things I believe in."

"Then do that," Neil says. "Screw your parents."

Cameron snaps. "And how did that work out for you, Neil?" 

They both freeze.

"Shit. I-I'm sorry. I didn't..."

"I know how it worked out for me, Cameron." Neil's voice is steady and even. "That's why I need to make sure it doesn't happen to any of you."

He groans. "I'm not like the rest of you! I'm not some day-seizing, marrowing-sucking poet or whatever."

"And you don't think you could be?"

He gives Neil a incredulous look. "No."

"Well, I think you're wrong." 

"I'm not an artist, Neil."

"Maybe not," He agrees. "But don't try and tell me you're not a poet."

Cameron scoffs.

"Poets use their words to express themselves, to make change happen. And other than your roommate, you're the best wordsmith I know. Jesus, how many useless essay contests have you won? How many times has Nolan praised your studies on the history of dirt? You've won every debate at our fucking club. You know how to use words, Cameron. Just use them for something that matters."

Cameron bites his lip. After a moment, he raises an eyebrow. "Yeah? Like what?"

"I don't know. What matters to you right now?"

His ears burn at the answer.

"Well?"

"...The guys. And that's pretty much a lost cause."

Neil's eyes turn desperate. "Don't say that. There is no such thing as a lost cause."

"They hate me. They think I betrayed them."

"Then show them you haven't. Show them you're still on their side."

"How?"

"I don't know, smartass. Figure it out."

He crosses his arms. "You used to be a lot nicer."

"I'm dead, Cameron. I don't have time to sugarcoat."

"Right..." He thinks a moment, frowning. "They're going to get expelled soon. They aren't turning in work, aren't showing up to classes... Anything."

"Well, there you go. Stop that from happening."

"How?"

"You tell me."

"They're grieving you. That should be a valid excuse. But it isn't. Meeks and Knox have tried talking to Nolan, I've heard it. He doesn't care."

"He doesn't care about the little troublemakers threatening his school," Neil corrects. "However, I'm sure he'd love to hear from one of his well-behaved, traditional, star-pupils."

At that, Cameron grins a bit, gears beginning to turn in his head. "Especially if it involves the promise to "spy" on these trouble-makers? And to "get them back on the right track"? 

Neil beams. "Especially then."

Confident, Cameron lunges for a notebook and starts planning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And thus, the Cameron redemption arc begins.


	7. The Stars Gleam

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahaha I am back from the dead
> 
> Here's two mini chapters UwU

Todd's talking in Shakespeare today.

He only does that when it's a bad day.

Neil isn't quite sure why. Maybe it helps Todd feel closer to him? He isn't sure. All he knows is Todd only talks in Shakespeare when it's a bad day.

"It wasn't Hamlet's fault," Todd says quietly. He's sitting on the bed, glancing towards the window where Neil loved to sit. "Was it?"

"What do you mean?" Neil knows he can't hear him. He likes to pretend, though.

Todd continues as if he had. "He was... Grieving. And things kept happening. He was in a terrible spot, and no one was even willing to listen to him. Everyone was too concerned with their own problems."

"Hamlet wasn't innocent," Neil mumbles. "He did things he shouldn't have."

"He was just a kid," Todd says. "Trying to be someone besides his father's child."

"Weren't they all? Ophelia, Laertes..."

"But no one tried to help him." Todd pauses. "Horatio. He tried, didn't he?" 

Neil looks at him sadly. "He did."

"It wasn't enough."

"It shouldn't have had to be. Horatio was a kid too."

"He was so... Caught up in Hamlet's antics. The wonder. He just... Followed him blindly."

"Hamlet was an actor. And a good one, too."

"Horatio could have saved him. He could have."

"It wasn't his job to."

Todd sighs sadly. "But no one listened. They all thought Hamlet was mad."

Neil looks down. "Maybe he was."

"He was too good at acting, wasn't he? They..." Tears well in his eyes. "They all thought he was crazy."

Neil looks at him. "Just wait until they see Horatio."

God, he hates the tragedies.


	8. The Poets Dream

Cameron blinks awake, glancing over at the alarm clock. It's 3AM. He frowns, not even sure what woke him up. He starts to lay back down when he hears it.

"Come on... Come on..." It's Neil, because of course it is. "Come on!"

He shifts to see Neil's hand phasing through a pencil. 

"Come on!" He growls, and his hand wraps firmly around the pencil.

"Neil?" Cameron mumbles.

He jumps, the pencil slipping out of his grip as if the hand had never been there. Disappointed, Neil turns around. "Why are you awake?"

"You, asshole," He replies, no real anger behind the words. His voice is softer when he adds, "Go to bed." 

He closes his eyes, and a tired smile comes onto Neil's face. 

"Night, Cameron."

A few seconds later, the sound of his muttering starts up again. Cameron ignores it.

**Author's Note:**

> I am accepting prompts & requests for this universe! You can comment, or my dms and asks are open on tumblr (I have anon asks on too), whatever works best for you!
> 
> My tumblr is considerablecolors if you'd like to stop by!


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